


An Absence

by alittleshitwithfeels



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Gen, Hypothermia, i really do love writing characters pushed to their limits, love torturing my trash children, so fun, the empire is a big bag of dicks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-03-01
Packaged: 2018-05-24 04:37:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6141746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittleshitwithfeels/pseuds/alittleshitwithfeels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of what I expect to be five million fics of "What if Kallus couldn't make it back to the Empire and stayed huddled on that cold moon until the rebels found him again?"</p>
<p>With a hyper focus on how much hypothermia sucks! Because everyone needed a whole 997 words about that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Absence

**Author's Note:**

> Un-Beta'd

He watched the Ghost fly off with what he staunchly refused to call regret.  The Empire would come for him and he would receive…. not nearly as warm of a greeting as Zeb had received.  He may even have to sit through being reprimanded for his failures before getting a medical examination.  _Wouldn’t exactly be the first time_ , he found himself thinking with a trace of bitterness.

Still, being yelled at while still in a makeshift splint was better than dying on a frozen moon orbiting an empty planet.  Kallus glanced up toward the sky, trying to keep calm.  They would find him.  They would be searching.  He shivered and tried not to think about how much his hands hurt, even with the strange, glowing stone emitting heat.  Mild hypothermia was concerning in its own right, but he’d be in a warm ship soon.

With all the resources at its disposal, the Empire would find him before he got too uncoordinated.  Everything would be fine.  Perhaps his pay would be missing a hearty chunk next time he got it, but he’d be alive to get it.

Everything would be fine.

Kallus kept the thought of his inevitable rescue close as he felt numbness creep into his feet and hands.  His superiors would not exactly be happy with him when he returned, but his peers would welcome him just fine.  The cold kept him from thinking too hard about his distinct lack of _friends_ within his peers.  It also kept him from considering how many rescue missions he’d actually seen happen.  _Just isn’t my jurisdiction._

He wished he had a hat.  He was losing too much heat through his head and now his shivering was more a violent trembling.  He attempted to crane his neck to look at the sky, but his neck muscles were tight and could barely move.  Unbidden, his thoughts turned from a warm Imperial ship to any ship at all.

_They’re running out of time_.  And he was not sure whether he was talking to the Empire or some other faceless savior. 

Kallus got the vague notion that he should be approaching some sort of panic.  The Empire wasn’t coming and neither was anyone else.   But fear registered as an alien concept to his numbed brain.  He couldn’t bring himself to feel scared.  All he registered was that he was still trembling, but it was beginning to come in waves.  The lull in between fits of shivers was growing longer and the period of shivering was rapidly diminishing.

He stopped shivering.

 All he could feel now was the overwhelming urge to urinate.  Some distant and clinical part of him whispered something about kidneys processing fluids, but the thought was quickly surrendered to the fog enveloping his mind. 

Just then, Kallus heard the distinct sound of a ship landing.  He peeled his eyes open (when had they closed?) and found the welcoming sight of an Imperial vessel.  Desperate, he struggled to uncurl his rigid muscles and stand, but found his limbs uncooperative.  He began to rock and make any tiny movement that would get him closer to salvation.  He doesn’t know how long he’s struggled, but it couldn’t have been too long; no one has left the ship yet.  His head lolled.

Just a quick rest.  
Quick.  
Barely even resting his eyes.

Kallus peeled his eyes open and was greeted by the familiar inside of a medical bay.  Warmth caressed his skin, a welcome reprieve from the bitter cold.  Shortly, though, he started to wonder if someone accidentally set the heat too high.  He tugged at his collar.  Before he could register a change, the whole ship was engulfed in flame.  It licked at his bed and found purchase on his clothes.  With a scream, he started wrenching his uniform off.

With a start, he lurched back into reality.  There was no ship, no fire.  He was just a pitiful, half-naked soul exposed to the harsh, bitter cold.  And no one was coming for him.  If he had the strength, perhaps he would have begun to cry.  He wasn’t sure if he even cared enough to be that upset.  Feebly, he grasped for the familiar amber, glowing rock almost out of instinct.  At least he would die with something nice in hand.

 

* * *

 

 A faint buzz broke through the haze of cold darkness.  As if he was being pulled out from underwater, the noise grew ever louder and distinct until everything became coherent with pop.  A droning, mechanical voice was talking.  Perhaps to him; it was saying his name enough.

Maybe he could sleep for a little longer.  Imperial medbays liked shuffling through their patients as efficiently as possible.  If he just kept his eyes closed….

“Agent Kallus, can you hear me?”

_Yes, but I’d rather not deal with you._   Still, he forced his eyes open.  The medical droid started into a prepared speech regarding his condition and how he should be feeling, but Kallus found himself distracted by what he could see of the medbay.  Admittedly, medbays did not have a lot of variety between them, but this did not feel familiar.  Even as addled as he was, he could tell.

He tried to ask where he was, but all that came out was a mere whistle of air so he turned his attention back to his condition.

Everything throbbed angrily and Kallus glanced down to take visual stock of himself while the droid droned on to someone outside of his view.  Curiously, one of his hands was cuffed to the bedframe.

_Not curious_.  An urgent voice interrupted.  _PrisonerRebelsTrappedVulnerableGetOutGetOUTGETOUT._

With practiced ease, he hushed the panicking voice.  _Rebels…._   The Empire hadn’t found him.  The Empire hadn’t come.  The realization hit him like a blow and left him feeling hollow.  They hadn’t….  His body lurched with a either a silent sob or a laugh, even he wasn’t exactly certain.  Unwilling and mentally unable to further deal with this new information, he let his eyelids flutter shut.

**Author's Note:**

> Probably could continue this, but I don't know. Eh.


End file.
